V. I. Lenin

Resolution on the Socialist Bureau’s Decision

Published:Proletarskaya PravdaNo. 9, December 17, 1913.

      Printed from theProletarskaya Pravdatext.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1977,

      Moscow,Volume 41,

      pages308-310.1.Translated:Yuri SdobnikovTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaCopyleft:V. I. Lenin Internet Archive (www.marxists.org)
      © 2004

      Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the
      terms of theGNU Free Documentation License.

Wewarmly welcome the decision of the workers’
International concerning the need for full and final clarification of the
substantial and basic differences existing in Russia between the political
trends participating in the working-class movement.

Inresponse to the International’s proposal we believe it necessary,
for our part, to outline the basic differences which, in our opinion,
divide the Marxists and the liquidators into two irreconcilable camps.

Wedeclare, first of all, that for any class-conscious worker it is not
a matter of setting up some new entity, but merely of strengthening and
fully restoring the old organisation as it took shape more than 15 years
ago—with its old programme and its most important tactical decisions. The
liquidators have split away from this Marxist organisation. These are the
necessary conditions for restoring unity with them in the sphere of workoutside the Duma:

1)Full and unconditional recognition (in fact) of “the underground”,
unconditional subordination to the decisions of its cells and an
undertaking not to allow, in any circumstances, any kind of attacks against
it in the press.

2)Full and unconditional recognition of the fact that the main task of
the epoch consists of the three principal demands put forward by the
working class of Russia, performance of work in that spirit, and
repudiation of the liberal-reformist preachings calling for abdication of
the old tasks.

3)Retraction of all attempts to change the programme of the Marxists
(cultural-national autonomy) and unconditional acceptance of the programme
worked out in 1903.

4)Full subordination on questions connected with the strike movement
to the decisions of workers organised on Marxist lines, and repudiation of
the struggle against the so-called “strike itch”.

5)Recognition in fact of the proletariat’sindependenttactics, and refusal to play down the tasks of the working class for the
sake of blocs with the liberals.

6)Recognition that in the matter of work in the trade unions guidance
should be taken from the decisions of the International Socialist Congress
in Stuttgart and the London Congress of Russian Marxists.

7)Repudiation of the principle of establishing workers’ organisations
on the national basis. Establishment ofunitedorganisations in
Poland and the North-Western Territory. Fulfilment by the Bund of the
decision on local mergers which has been repeatedly reiterated by Russian
Marxists as a whole.

Theseare the terms for unity in the sphere ofDumaactivity:

I.Recognition that the group is an organ unconditionally subordinated
to the organised will of the Marxist whole.

II.Retraction of all the violations of the programme
(cultural-national autonomy, acceptance of Jagiello, etc.).

III.Condemnation of the splitting acts of the Seven, which have also
been condemned by G. V. Plekhanov in his letter to the International
Socialist Bureau.

Asfor the groups which it would be useful for the Inter national
Bureau to contact for arranging a general exchange of opinion, we demand,
above all, that participation in it should beconfined exclusivelyto representatives of workers’ organisations existing in Russia, and should
in no instance include any of the circles abroad which are not connected
with work in Russia.

Wefurthermore believe that: 1) either invitations should go outonlyto the representatives of thetwoprincipal trends
struggling in Russia, i.e., the Marxists and the liquidators, 2) or, if
there is a desire to clarify all differences in general between the Russian
Social-Democrats and those who regard themselves as Social-Democrats?
invitations should go out, without exception, to all workers’ organisations
operating in Russia and regarding themselves as being close to the
Social-Democrats. In that case, there is no reason to exclude some of the
Left-wing Narodniks, or the Jewish groups who regard themselves as
socialists and who compete with the Bund, etc.

Finally,we feel sure that in order to throw a true light on the
differences among Russian Social-Democrats, the foreign socialist press
will make its pages available to responsiblerepresentatives of Russian organisations who—in contrast to
émigré circles and irresponsible persons—could give the
foreign comrades a precise idea of the ideological and political basis of
the differences in the Russian working-class movement.

A group of organised Marxists